The Loess
Hills as a Working Landscape

"Unique
and globally significant"that is how the Loess Hills of western
Iowa have been described. The 200-mile expanse of hills contains many
distinctive ecosystems and vistas. And the loess soil that makes up the
hills is rare due to its depth and concentration, which is only rivaled
in certain areas of China. So, if a working landscape is defined as a
healthy, natural ecosystem that thrives under human influence, then the
Loess Hills might be considered a model of a working landscape or at least
a model of a future working landscape.

Social,
Ecological, Economic

Within a healthy working landscape, people who live there are balancing
their needs with the needs of the environment. Striking that delicate
balance is referred to as mutual sustainability. All needs are met in
a way that will maintain the landscape into the future. To achieve this
sustainability, three elements need to work togetherthe social element,
the ecological element, and the economic element. Each element needs the
appropriate attention to stay healthy and in balance with the other two.

The Loess Hills is a good
model of a working landscape because it has the social, ecological, and
economic elements. It also shows how delicate the balance of these can
be.

Social
The social element involves the interactions between community members,
tourists, business people, and families. Interactions can take place
outdoors on the landscape or in businesses and homes. When the social
element is as important as the ecological and economic elements, the
Loess Hills is seen as a successful working landscape. An example is
a bed and breakfast business in the Loess Hills. In an ideal situation,
social interactions between guests and community members are balanced
with ecological education (guests learn about the hills) and economic
gain. A bed and breakfast, in this case, contributes to a healthy working
landscape.

Ecological
The ecological element is in balance with the other elements of a working
landscape when the needs of the land and the ecosystems are met. An
example of this could be a farm in the Loess Hills. Ideally, the farmer
uses the natural resources to grow crops, and also uses proper conservation
practices to preserve the soil and surrounding habitats. Farmers maintain
the ecological balance while also keeping the social and economic elements
in check.

Economic
The economic element in the Loess Hills works together with the social
and ecological elements when money is made on an activity. But this
activity can't overwhelm the other elements. For example, take tourism.
There are areas in the Loess Hills that are fragile and beautiful, but
also able to sustain tourism without hurting the environment. In these
areas, the land managers (such as The Nature Conservancy) make huge
efforts to know the fragile parts of the area and to allow tourism only
in the ecosystems that can handle it. In this case, tourism can bring
in money while also supporting the social and ecological needs of the
Loess Hills.

Finding
the Balance

The key to a working landscape is maintaining the balance of three elementsthe
social element, the ecological element, and the economic element. Parts
of the Loess Hills are a good model of a working landscape. As people
work to get into balance with the environment, the Loess Hills becomes
a huge, healthy working landscape.